Force-lasted shoe



May 10, 1949. V J. KAMBRIAN I v 6 FORCE-LAS'I'ED SHOE Filed March 51-, 1945 2 sheetssheet 2 a? Q X.

Patented May 10, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,469,561 FORCE-LASTED SHOE Jacob S. Kamborian, West Newton, Mass.

Application March 31, 1945, Serial No. 585,950 9 Claims. (cm-19.5)

This invention relates to an improvement in footwear and more particularly in a sl ce of the type disclosed in the copending United States application Serial No. 503,336 filed September 22, 1943, of which this application is a continuation-in-part, now Patent Number 2,446,286, such shoe being designated in the trade as California, force-lasted or slip-lasted.

The shoe, on which the present invention is based, embodies not only several features of the shoe on which the said application is based, which features are described and claimed therein but also a further development of such shoe.

The primary object of this invention is the provision of a shoe of the above type which is pleasing in appearance and inexpensive to manufacture, and in which shoe the upper is lasted to the sock lining and to the midsole or platform by separate and independent operations.

-A further object of this invention resides in the provision of a heel counter adapted to be inserted between the lining and outer ply of the upper and to be firmly seated in the shoe whereby the heel of the shoe is fitted comfortably to the wearer.

Another object of this invention resides in the provision at the forepart of tabs by which the upper is temporarily attached to the last during the setting of a toe stiffener and to insure against shifting of the forepart.

Other objects will appear from a consideration of the following description and of the accompanying drawing which forms a part thereof and in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of a shoe embodying this invention;

Figs. 2 and 3 are cross-sectional views, overdrawn in thickness for the purpose of illustration, of such shoe taken along the section lines 2-2 and 33 respectively in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the shoe shown in Fig. 1;

Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate a preferred type of combined counter and shank; and

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the toe of the assembled vamp and wrapper. I

The shoe I, comprises a sock lining 2 and an upper 3 consisting of a vamp 8 and a quarter 9 and comprising an outer ply 4 and a lining ply 5 joined along the upper edges only. In the shoe selected for illustration the upper 3 has The outer ply 4 of the upper 3 terminates in a wrapper which may be integral therewith but which in the illustrated embodiment consists of wrapper strips 6 and 1 secured to the outer ply of the vamp and quarter of the upper. The strip 6 is joined along its edge to the outer ply 4 of the vamp 8 by a row of stitching which may be the row 25 that secures the sock lining 2 to that ply, as shown in the drawing, or may be parallel thereto. The strip 1 at the heel part is joined to the outer ply 4 of the quarter 9 by a row of stitching which extends longitudinally of the strip intermediate its side edges thus defining two marginal flaps l6 and I! respecttively, each having a free edge. Since the outer and lining plies of the upper are joined at their upper edges there will be provided at the quarter 9 a pocket l0 adapted, as pointed out below, to receive a heel stiffener II (Fig. 6).

- The stifiener ll comprises a counter I2, 'and'a tongue 13 integral therewith, and of substantially the same width as that of the heel bottom. The stiffener is subjected to a moulding operation in accordance with the usual practice whereby the wings of the counter are brought into contact with the side edges of the tongue and the flanges I 4 at the bottom of the wings are disposed in a horizontal plane below the tongue. The flanges l4, when unitized to the tongue, thereby provide the stiffener with suitable rigidity and stiffness.

After the sock lining 2, upper 3 and wrapper strips 6 and l have been joined as pointed out above, a last I5 is introduced to tension the upper and sock lining as described in said copending application. The wrapper strip 6 at the forepart is turned back with its outer surface adjacent the outer surface of the upper. The flap iii of the wrapper strip 1 is similarly turned back, while the flap I1 projects beyond the lower edge of the outer ply 4 of the upper. The adjacent ends of the'strip I are overlapped by the ends of the strip 6.

The counter l2 of the stiffener H is slipped into the pocket l0, either before or after the last has been introduced. The portion 13 rests against the under surface of the sock lining and, after the last has been introduced, is preferably secured to'the sock lining by a suitable adhesive. A pad N3 of leather or other material is adhesively secured to the bottom surfaces of the portion l3 and to the flanges l4.

As shown in Fig. 4, the shoe l is provided with a stiffener ll at the toe, bonded to the inner surface of the vamp 8. The stiffener I I, instead of being pre-molded like the stifiener l I, is preferably of a type which is temporarily rendered plastic and adhesive by a solvent, steam or othersuitable treatment. This treatment may be applied either before or after the stiffener has been inserted in the vamp and the last I 5 has been introduced to tension the upper. The setting of the stiffener, after such treatment, requires various periods depending upon the treatment employed. In order to hold the stiffener in position during the setting period it is proposed to provide the vamp with a pair of tabs 19 which may be integral with the upper or firmly secured thereto. After the last has been introduced, the tabs 19 are placed under tension and secured by tacks driven through the sock lining into the bottom of the last. The tabs l9 not only act to hold the stiffener in position between the upper and the last until it has set, but also act, whether or not a stiffener is employed, to hold the forepartof the upper, after the shoe has been spindled by the operator, against twisting or shifting from the position desired by the operator. The tacks are in due time removed and the tabs l9 cemented by any suitable adhesive to the bottom surface of the sock lining prior to the final lasting of the shoe described hereinbelow.

If desired, the procedure outlined in the copending Kamborian application Serial No. 561,282 filed October 31, 1944, (upon which Patent No. 2,414,104 issued January 14, 1947) according to which the end stiffeners are secured to the sock lining and thereafter assembled with the upper, may be employed in place of those set forth above. The tabs [9 are obviously applicable to this procedure as well for the reasons set forth above.

The first lasting operation is now performed by which the outer ply 4 of the quarter of the upper is pulled over and held by adhesively securing the flap I! of the wrapper strip 1 to the bottom surfaces of the sock lining 2 and the pad 18. The machine disclosed in the United States Letters Patent to Kamborian No. 2,251,284 dated August 5, 1941 is particularly adapted for this operation.

A platform 20, including a heel Wedge 2|, is

then secured by suitable means, preferably by cement or adhesive, to the bottom surface of the shoe at this stage in its manufacture. The joined edges of the upper and sock lining at the forepart of the shoe bear, substantially at right' angles, against the upper surface of the platform 20 which at the forepart projects slightly beyond the upper (Fig. 3). The under surfaces of the sock lining 2, the pad l8 and the tabs 19 and the flap 11, are adhesively bonded to the upper surface of the platform, (Fig. 2). The entire upper and platform are thus firmly anchored together so that they will not be disturbed during the further lasting operation.

The wrapper strip 6 at the vamp and the flap I6 of the wrapper strip 1 at the quarter are then turned down, pulled over the sidewall of the platform and lasted to the bottom surface of the platform, preferably by the machine of the above-mentioned patent. The sidewall of the platform 20 and its heel wedge 2| are thus smoothly covered and concealed. The ends of the strip 6 overlap the ends of the fiap l6 and in the illustrated embodiment the fiap and strip are secured by a suitable cement or adhesive to the bottom surface of the platform. An outsole 22 is then fixed in any desired manner to the bottom surface to complete the manufacture of the shoe. Since the wrapper strips 6 and I are firmly anchored to the upper surface of the platform and are drawn snugly about the side edges thereof, a particularly pleasing appearance is imparted to the shoe. A bead 23 is secured at the'top line of the shoe.

While one embodiment of the invention has been shown and described specifically it will be understood that the invention is not limited thereto and that other embodiments can be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof as set forth in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A force-lasted shoe comprising an upper, a sock lining secured to said upper throughout the margin of the sock lining, tabs projecting from the lower edge of the upper at the forepart of the shoe and secured to the under face of the sock lining, a wrapper secured to the upper, a platform secured to the under face of the sock lining, said wrapper enclosing the side edges of the platform and being secured to the under surface of the platform, and an outsole secured to,the under surface of the platform.

2. A force-lasted shoe comprising an upper, a stiffener positioned within the shoe at the toe of the upper, a sock lining secured to said upper throughout the margin ofthe sock lining, tabs projecting from the lower edge of the upper at the forepart -of the shoe and secured to the under face of the sock lining, a wrapper secured to the upper, a platform secured to the under face of the sock lining, said wrapper enclosing the side edges of theplatform and being secured to the under surface of the platform, and an outsole secured to the under surface of the platform.

3. A force lasted shoe comprising an upper, a sock lining, means uniting the margin of the sock lining to the upper, wrapper means attached to the upper, a platform, the wrapper means embracing the edge of the platform, an outer sole, and an elongate anchoring element attached at one end to the upper at the toe end of the latter, the other end portion of said anchoring element being interposed between the platform and the sock lining, the anchoring element being concealed by the wrapping means, and means permanently uniting the platform to the sock lining and to the wrappermeans.

4. A force-lasted shoe comprising an upper including, at the quarter, a lining ply and an outer ply, a sock lining secured to the upper at the vamp and to the lining ply only of the upper at the quarter, the outer ply of the upper being free from the sock lining at the quarter, a wrapper strip joined along one of its edges to the margin of the upper and to the edge of the sock lining at the vamp, a second wrapper strip secured to the margin of the outer ply only of the upper at the quarter by a row of stitches extending longitudinally of said second strip substantially midway between the edges thereof so as to define two flaps each having a free edge, an end stiffener disposed between the plies of the upper at the quarter, a portion at least of one flap of the second wrapper strip underlying the sock lining, a platform secured to the sock lining and to the under surface of the last-named wrapper flap, the secured edges of the vamp and sock lining resting upon said platform, the first wrapper strip which is secured to the vamp and the second fiap of that wrapper strip which is secured to the quarter extending down about the side edges of the platform and being lasted in and secured to the under surface of the platform, and an outsole secured to said platform (and concealing the lasted in portions of the wrapper strips).

5. A force-lasted shoe comprising an upper including, at the quarter, a lining ply and an outer ply, a sock lining secured to the upper at the vamp and to the lining ply only of the upper at the quarter, the outer ply of the upper at the quarter being free from the sock lining,'a wrapper strip joined along one of its edges to the margin of the upper and to the sock lining at the vamp,

a second wrapper strip secured to the margin of the outer ply only of the upper at the quarter by a row of stitches extending longitudinally of the strip intermediate the edges thereof so as to define flaps each having a free edge, an end stiffener disposed between the plies of the upper at the quarter, a portion of the second wrapper strip underlying the sock lining, a platform secured to the sock lining and to the under surface of the last-named wrapper flap, said platform, at the forepart of the shoe, projecting beyond the forepart of the sock lining, the secured edges of the vamp and wrapper resting upon said platform, the ends of the two wrapper strips overlapping, the first wrapper strip, which is secured to the vamp, and the second flap of that wrapper strip which is secured to the quarter extending down about the side edges of the platform to cover said edges and being lasted in and secured to the under surface of the platform, and an outsole secured to the platform and concealing the lasted in portions of the wrapper strips.

6. A force-lasted shoe comprising an upper including, at the quarter, a lining ply and an outer ply, a sock lining secured to the upper at the vamp and to the lining ply only of the upper at the quarter, the outer ply of the upper being free from the sock lining at the quarter, a wrapper strip joined along one of its edges to the margin of the upper and to the edge of the sock lining at the vamp, a second wrapper strip secured to the margin of the outer ply only of the outer at the quarter by a row of stitches extending longitudinally of the strip substantially midway between the edges thereof so as to define flaps each having a free edge, an end stiffener disposed between the plies of the upper at the quarter, a portion of said stiffener contacting the sock lining, one flap of the second wrapper strip being secured in part to that portion of the stiffener which contacts the sock lining, a platform secured to the sock lining and to the under surface of the last-named wrapthe heel end of the shoe, said stiffener comprising a horizontal portion which contacts the under surface of the sock lining, portions of one flap of the second wrapper strip beingbonded respectively to the exposed surface of said horizontal portion of the stiffener, a platform bonded to the sock lining and to the under surface of the lastnamed wrapper flap and to the stiffener at the heel end of the shoe, the first wrapper strip, which is attached to the forepart of the shoe upper, and the second flap of that wrapper strip which is attached to the heel end of the shoe upper underlying and being bonded to the under surface of the platform whereby the side edges of the platform are covered by the wrapper strips, and an outsole secured to the under surface of the platform and to the outer surfaces of those portions of the wrapper strips which underly the platform. I

8. A force-lasted shoe comprising an uppe having a lining ply and an outer ply, a sock linper flap, said platform, at the forepart of the shoe, projecting beyond the forepart of the sock lining, the joined edges of the vamp, sock lining and wrapper resting upon the platform, the first wrapper strip, which is secured to the vamp, and the second flap of that wrapper strip which is secured to the quarter extending down around the side edges of the platform and being lasted in and secured to the under surface of the platform, and an outsole secured to the platform and concealing the lasted in portions of the wrapper strips.

7. A force-lasted shoe having an upper comprising a lining ply and an outer ply, said plies being joined along their upper edges, a sock lining secured to the lining ply only of the upper at the heel and of the shoe, a wrapper strip having one of its longitudinal edges secured to the free lower margin of the upper at the forepart of the shoe, and a second wrapper strip secured to the free margin of the outer ply only of the upper at the heel end of the shoe by fastening means extending longitudinally of the second wrapper strip substantially midway between the edges thereof so as to define two flaps each having a free edge, an end stiflener interposed between the lining ply and the outer ply of the upper at mg secured to the lining ply of the upper, a wrapper strip secured along one of its margins to the margin of the outer ply of the upper at the forepart of the shoe, a second wrapper strip secured by fastening means extending longitudinally, intermediate the edges of the latter strip, to the margin of the outer ply only of the upper at the heel end of the shoe, and an end stiffener disposed between the lining ply and outer ply of the upper, a platform secured to the under surface of the sock lining, a portion at least of the lower mar-gin of the outer ply of the upper and one margin of the second wrapper strip resting upon the upper surface of the platform, the other margins of the wrapper strips being bonded to the under'surface of the platform, the side edges of the platform being concealed by the wrapper strips, and an outsole secured to the under surface of the platform and to the outer surfaces of those portions of the wrapper strips which are bonded to the under surface of the platform.

9. A force-lasted shoe comprising an upper including a lining ply and an outer ply, a sock lining secured to the'lining ply only of the upper, a wrapper strip joined to the margin of the outer ply of the upper by a row of stitches extendin longitudinally of the wrapper strip substantially midway between the edges thereof to define two flaps each having a free edge, one flap of the strip underlying the sock lining, a platform secured to the sock lining and to the under surface of the last-named flap, the second flap of the wrapper strip extending down around the side edges of the platform and underlying and being secured to the under side of the platform, and an outsole secured to the under surface of the platform and the outer surface of that part of the second flap which underlies the platform.

- JACOB S. KAMBORIAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,067,963 Joyce Jan. 19, 1937 2,177,030 Sutclifl'e Oct. 24, 1939 2,244,504 Riddell June 3, 1941 2,318,846 Fern Mar. 11, 1943 2,370,789 Glagovsky Mar. 6, 1945 2,371,703 Moskowitz Mar. 20, 1945 2,379,681 Cohen July 3, 1945 

